Welcome to your midweek live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Painted cycle lanes may make roads more dangerous for riders, says study, MP to tale on Fred Whitton Challenge; Victor Campenaerts discusses gearing for hour attempt; Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig post-Flanders interview in Danish +more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Wed, Apr 10, 2019 19:27
SUMMARY
10 April 2019, 19:27
Something new from Wahoo?
Here’s some speculation to start your morning off, courtesy of an email we got from Wahoo… what could it be? The Elemnt and Elemnt Bolt have consistently rated well with our reviewers but any negative comments usually refer to the mapping capabilities. Something more trail-orientated perhaps? We’ll have the full story tomorrow.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Sean Conway's new book 'Big Mile Cycling' available to pre-order
It’s the fifth book written by the adventurer, who has ridden around the world and holds the record for the fastest ride across Europe unsupported.
The book focuses on his many challenge attempts and failures, and tells the story of his 4,000 mile Europe cycle record in detail. Conway also looks back at some of his cycling heroes, heroines, and discusses the boom in ultra-cycling in the last decade. You can pre-order it here.
10 April 2019, 19:27
That Cecile Uttrup Ludwig interview is just as entertaining in Danish
The 23-year-old Dane captured the public’s hearts with her storytelling of the Tour of Flanders, in which she described how the peloton were going full gas and said she was a “dead fish” at the end. She also gave a similar interview to the Danish media, and her enthusiasm comes across just as well in her mother tongue. Watch it on TV2 here.
For those of you that haven’t seen the English language version, here it is below…
10 April 2019, 19:27
Human barrier in Wellington, NZ formed to protest against lack of protection for cyclists
A people-protected bike lane was formed by fed up protesters in New Zealand’s capital this morning, highlighting the slow progress the city is making on protected cycleways. Stuff reports that 45 cyclists formed the human barrier, waving and shouting at cyclists to get into the protected zone.
Cycling Action Network project manager Patrick Morgan told Stuff that cyclists have lobbied Wellington City Council for twenty years to build cycle lanes in the city centre: “They’ve made some good progress on Hutt Rd and Oriental Bay, and in Kilbirnie, but there are almost no bike lanes in the CBD. We’re fed up. We need protection.”
He said an estimated 250 cyclists rode through the people-protected barrier between 7.45am and 8.20am.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Chris Froome says he had issues trusting Bradley Wiggins at the 2012 Tour de France due to experience of previous year's Vuelta:
Chris Froome says he had issues trusting Bradley Wiggins at the 2012 Tour de France due to experience of previous year’s Vuelta.
He made the disclosure to ex-Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg for an episode of his Beyond Victory podcast which also includes the pair discussing issues such as training and the pressures faced in their respective sports.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Gocycle offering employees 40p per mile to cycle to work
The founder of the folding bike brand says UK employers should incentivise staff who get to work by electric or non-electric cycles, rather than driving, while urging government to help businesses do so. Gocycle estimate that if its 15 staff commuted by e-bike three days per week it could cut around 38,000 car miles per year. More over on eBikeTips.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Youtuber does Paris-Roubaix tribute ride... in Cheshire
The owner of the Chicken Dinnerz Youtube account, who describes himself as a ‘cyclocross racer and editor of silly videos’, does his own version of Roubaix in Blighty in tribute to the famous race. He explains: “We don’t really have mountains in the UK so it’s hard to do Tour de France or Giro d’Italia-style riding.
“What we do have is grey skies, terrible roads and quite a few cobbles, so I thought I’d do my own version of the Paris Roubaix.”
10 April 2019, 19:27
Victor Campenaerts discusses gearing for hour record attempt in his latest diary entry for Lotto Soudal
Campenaerts’ team are documenting his build-up to the attempt twice weekly, and with just six days to go he’s revealed that the gearing choice still isn’t set in stone: “The cadence on the track is higher compared to the road, but it still needs to feel comfortable in order to keep the right lines and to control your heart rate and breathing.
“The 59 X 14, 60 X 14, 61 X 14 as well as the 63 X 15 are options. But with the 59 X 14 and the 63 X 15, I would have to maintain a cadence of 104 and as I am a road cyclist by nature, that turned out too high for me. So the 61 or 60 X 14 remained, being 100 to 102 revolutions per minute. That does not seem like a big difference, but it still is. Bradley Wiggins managed to hold 104 revolutions during his attempt, the highest of all modern Hour Record attempts, but he was also trained on the track.”
Campenaerts will attempt on either the 16th or 17th April at the Velodromo Bicentenario in Aguascalientes, Mexico. You can check out the bike he’ll be riding in more details here.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Cumbria MP admits he's "nuts" as he prepares to ride the Fred Whitton Challenge
So after falling off twice trying to get up Hardknott Pass yesterday I have got the fear about the @fred_whitton. Please consider sponsoring me for the Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team. It is insanely hard and I am not very good at cycling https://t.co/TJablxoKh2 pic.twitter.com/ynNGJc4Ugh
— John Woodcock (@JWoodcockMP) April 8, 2019
An MP from Cumbria will next month ride what many consider to be the UK’s toughest sportive – the Fred Whitton Challenge, covering 114 miles and taking in climbs including the Hardknot and Wrynose Passes.
The event, first held in 1999, is on the doorstep of Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock, who is aiming to raise money for the Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team.
On his page on Virgin Money Giving, he says: “So everyone says the Fred Whitton is one of the very hardest one-day amateur cycling challenges out there – and I’m doing it as my first 100-plus mile sportive. Which I realise is nuts. 114 miles and ten of the biggest climbs in the Lake District – some with 30 PER CENT GRADIENTS.
“The Fred was started 20 years ago in memory of a legendary Cumbrian cyclist. It is pretty jammy to get a place in the ballot but I’ve just fallen off twice trying to get up Hardknott – which you do after 100 miles – and now I have got the fear.
“The event raises money for a number of brilliant local and national charities – I’ve chosen to focus on the Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team whose volunteers give an amazing service to stricken climbers and walkers on the fells from their base outside Broughton-in-Furness in my constituency.”
10 April 2019, 19:27
Brompton's new more affordable folder can be bought on £30 a month finance deal
The finance option is a first for Brompton, and as a one-off purchase the new B75 is £745. Full story here.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Just to make sure the Paris Roubaix riders don't try to take the easy route..
Traditional tweet #ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/G7aJv55ugh
— ProCyclingStats.com (@ProCyclingStats) April 10, 2019
It’s cobbles or nothing!
10 April 2019, 19:27
Credit: Unknown
10 April 2019, 19:27
"Choose life. Choose Bike", say Endura
The Scottish brand encourage us to bike to work with this inspiring video. 500 calories per day burnt on just a six mile commute, hundreds of pounds saved a month and a reduction in carbon footprint equivalent to a transatlantic flight each year are just some of the reasons given.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Fat Lad at the Back launch new jersey paying homage to cake
Featuring a wide variety of cartoon cakey goodness and ‘Will ride for cake’ emblazoned on the back, the lightweight jersey comes in men’s and women’s sizes and costs £54.99. You can buy it here.
10 April 2019, 19:27
Painted cycle lanes may make roads more dangerous for riders, says Australian study
Painted cycle lanes may make roads more dangerous for riders, says Australian study
Painted cycle lanes may make roads more dangerous for bike riders, according to a new report by Victoria, Australia-based Monash University.
The study, reported on here by the Herald Sun, followed 60 people who regularly commute by bike in Melborune and followed them on their daily routes.
Deputy head of prehospital emergency and trauma research, Ben Beck, said that the lanes made cyclists more liable to be subjected to close overtakes.
“Specifically, passing events on roads with a bicycle lane and a parked car were on average 40cm closer than events on roads with no bicycle lane or parked cars,” he explained.
“The magnitude of that difference is quite substantial. As someone who cycles myself, we all know that a painted lane next to parked cars is not a safe space.”
The solution he proposed? Unsurprisingly, create more protected cycle lanes for riders.
Rosie Pham, who took part in the study, said: “It’s scary and luckily nothing’s happened to me but there’s been a lot of near-misses, and when people yell, that scares me and I wonder if they are going to hit me.”
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
lio 14 minutes ago
I wish we had a duty to be a "fit and proper person" to have a valid driving license in the UK. If you're specifically using a vehicle to commit a crime you couldn't carry out otherwise it should be an instant ban and you should have to prove you've turned your life around before you get your license back.
MaxiMinimalist 16 minutes ago
Be who you are. Absolutely. Provided you don't annoy the rest of mankind with pronouns and gender ideology. As a side note. Last year we saw the Palestinian flag. This year, the trans rights colours. But no support for the brave Iranian people.
MaxiMinimalist 29 minutes ago
And a transponder
MaxiMinimalist 37 minutes ago
When celebrating too early puts the winner himslf in danger... Was the rider fined for dangerous behaviour and taking his hands off the handlebars? Are the UCI bureaucrats going to issue a new regulation that will forbid any form of celebration before and after the finish line?
momove 47 minutes ago
@chrisonabike and it takes a headline, a photo caption and four paras before there's a driver involved. Two earlier opportunities to be clear but no, they went with "a car crashed" and "the vehicle drove". Thanks BBC.
Pub bike 48 minutes ago
@cyclisto I wonder if there is a similar effect as with cars and motorbikes regarding unsprung weight? ie weight attached to the bike has to be hauled up and down every imperfection in the road requiring additional effort whilst weight carried on the body - which has absorbed and smoothed out the undulations either through the flesh or the saddle - is less affected.
mdavidford 1 hour ago
Were you worried that repeating the brand name might cause offence to some round here?
jonesthesteam 1 hour ago
Streeting is a flippin' embarrassment and needs to stop aping Farage. The best thing he did was resign his cabinet position.
chrisonabike 1 hour ago
More cars in playgrounds, alas. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4eldkpxgwo
chrisonabike 1 hour ago
I'm not well versed on Streeting's political positions but I believe he's seen as more towards the "party of the motorist" (before Starmer piped up that no, Labour was) than many. Anyhoo, while I suspect he's just desperate to keep prominence in the political jockeying, it's still a bit sad to hear. As to numbers for the benefits of cycling I believe there are European studies which demonstrate investment in cycling delivers a net return, while further investment in driving is overall a net cost. (Was it this - The Social Cost of Automobility, Cycling and Walking in the European Union - Stefan Gössling, Andy Choi, Kaely Dekker Daniel Metzler?) Then some years back the UK government commissioned a report on the economic benefits of cycling and concluded that there were indeed benefits. Fiona Rajé and Andrew Saffrey - The Value of Cycling, DfT / University of Birmingham / Phil Jones Associates TfL has figures in: Walking and cycling: the economic benefits
22 thoughts on “Live blog: Painted cycle lanes may make roads more dangerous for riders, says study, MP to tale on Fred Whitton Challenge; Victor Campenaerts discusses gearing for hour attempt; Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig post-Flanders interview in Danish +more”
The Endura claim about
The Endura claim about burning 500 calories over a 6 mile commute, er, I don’t think so mate! Good message otherwise though drop the piss pots!
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
I suppose it depends if it is 6 miles from door to office and then reverse in the afternoon. Strava / Wahoo / Apple watch have me running 800-1000 cals a day doing about that although I’m normally not doing a leisurely pace which will skew it higher.
Around what ballpark figure
Around what ballpark figure are we talking then BTBS?
ktache wrote:
For me at 98kg doing a hardish ride it’d be circa 60-65 cals a mile, less commuting. if they had said a 12 mile round trip commute to burn 1000 cals (I think they said up to) then that’s still a pretty big number that would be outside of the vast majority of peoples efforts on a commute. Over 6 miles how many people could actually burn that many, it’s absolutely miles off IMHO.
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
As mentioned, they talked about a ‘6 mile commute’ – if that’s one-way then their figure (‘burning around 500 calories’ ) looks more than reasonable, e.g. the average adult male in the UK is 83.6kg, and using a random calorie counter @ https://caloriesburnedhq.com/calories-burned-biking that equates to 732 calories at 14-16mph (using 12 miles in ~50 minutes), and 702 for 12 mph. For women (average 70.2kg) the figures are 614 and 590 respectively.
It’s then a question of whether they meant a round trip or route distance – IME people talk about the distance to/from work more than round-trip distances, and when they have talked about the latter they’ve generally mentioned that it’s a round trip figure, not one way. That’s just my experience however. All in all though, it’s not really a take-away from their video that I find worth picking apart and criticising them for.
Around what ballpark figure
Around what ballpark figure are we talking then BTBS?
ktache wrote:
it depends on how much weight you are lugging around, and how fast you are going,.but Id have thought the average cyclist is going to burn around 60 calories at best per mile, so 500-600 range for there and back would probably be about right.
Awavey wrote:
Yeah I would say this was bang on. 500 calories an hour is fairly normal.
The Australian research
The Australian research reinforces other studies which show the same thing; on road cycle lanes aren’t safer.
I look forward to the UK government taking this on board, learning the lessons, making evidence based decisions, and carrying on exactly as they were doing. After all, they’ve ignored all the other evidence. Apart from Alliston of course, but most of that was made up.
Calorie counter here, which
Calorie counter here, which can be tailored individually.
https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1350958587
The problem I have with the
The problem I have with the on-road painted cycle lanes is that they are contrary to the advice to give cyclists at least 1.5m when passing them and reinforces the idea that close passes are absolutely fine – the vehicles are in another lane, so must be safe, right!
Drivers then translate that distance as acceptable anywhere, even where the lanes aren’t painted.
They’ve put them in as part of re-surfacing the main road past where I live, despite the pavements being designated as shared use.
LastBoyScout wrote:
Probably for several reasons; some cyclists will stay on the road anyway, they wanted to make the lanes narrower to slow motors, they didn’t want fast cyclists on the footpath, they had some paint left over.
burtthebike wrote:
Fast confident cyclists will be on the road anyway and you can’t go that fast on the pavements due to the number of driveways, side junctions, lamp posts, telegraph poles and signs.
It’s mostly lip service to say “look at how much we’re doing to encourage cycling”, but, in one place, it’s entirely legal to park in the cycle lane – I asked the council what they were doing about the cars parked in it and they said it was fine in that location, but they hadn’t got the signs up yet!
You could say they’ve done it to annoy motorcyclists – putting the cycle lanes in pushed the cars closer together and made it much harder to filter down the middle on my noisy bike!
I think my local MP protests
I think my local MP protests too much – he’s no novice. He did the Coast to Coast last year for charity. You don’t do that if you’re ‘not very good at cycling’ (although depends on the definition of ‘very good’ I suppose).
It’s nice having a local politician who is a keen cyclist though! Makes a change from all those that demonise us.
40p per mile? That’s less
40p per mile? That’s less than minimum wage at my speed.
I get travel expenses in my
I get travel expenses in my job, the per mile rate is significantly lower by bike than by car.
Which has always struck me as a bit odd.
Rich_cb wrote:
Seems logical if they are actual expenses, not so if they’re incentives.
The new Wahoo is…..Drum
The new Wahoo is…..Drum Roll…..the Bolt is now available in a limited edition colour of Blue or Pink.
https://uk.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-computers/gps-elemnt-bolt
Oh and you can get a free T-short if you order today
Though drivers don’t get less
Though drivers don’t get less per mile if they drive old cars (much less depreciation) or very efficient ones, less cost of fuel per mile.
My last place of employment paid lip service to the encouragement of cycling, there was a cycle to work scheme, but it took 3-6 months and seemed to only be open to one person at a time. But bikes were banned from the site, and we had to lock our bikes outside of the very secure fence. Cars allowed in of course, and many email reminders about not speeding. And a massive new car park withing the highly secure site is about to be built.
ktache wrote:
Be very tricky, and expensive, to try and cope with in general – the amount you can claim is also set out in the HMRC’s Approved Mileage Allowance Payments and related legislation.
ktache wrote:
Sadly all too common. I live near Rolls-Royce in Bristol and they have a large car park with signs on the fence surrounding it “cyclists dismount”. I’d love to talk to the H&S nerd who thought that sign was necessary, useful or would be obeyed.
ktache wrote:
Exactly, someone I knew did the drive in a plug in hybrid, reckoned it cost about 2p per mile.
She got full car rate regardless.